APPG for London

Update following the APPG officers & stakeholder group meeting on 27.1.20

| APPG for London officers | |--------------------------| | Sir Bob Neill MP – Co-Chair (apologies received) | | Steve Reed MP – Co-Chair (apologies received) | | Catherine West MP – Secretary (apologies received) | | Lord Graham Tope – Vice-Chair | | David Simmonds MP – Vice-Chair | | Florence Eshalomi MP – Vice-Chair |

| APPG for London stakeholder group | |----------------------------------| | Dick Sorabji, Deputy Chief Executive, London Councils | | Sarah Gibson, Head of Government and EU Relations, Mayor of London’s Office | | David Halliwell, Principal Government Relations Officer, Mayor of London’s Office | | Jennette Arnold OBE AM, Chair of the London Assembly | | Fenella Nance, Public Affairs Manager, London Assembly | | Antonia Norman, Head of Public Affairs, London First | | Nadine Tewfik-Saad, Head of Public Affairs, LCCI | | Ben Rogers, Director, Centre for London | | Phillip Saunders, Parliamentary Affairs Counsel, City of London Corporation | | James Banks, Chief Executive, London Funders |

| Also in attendance | |--------------------| | Fleur Anderson MP | | Abena Oppong-Asare MP |

| Summary of discussion | |-----------------------| | Lord Graham Tope chaired the meeting. Following introductions, each stakeholder group member and APPG officer shared a two-minute overview of their plans and policy priorities for the coming year. |

Key projects potentially of interest to the APPG include:

- the City of London’s work on devolution and mapping inequalities
- the Mayor’s new London Plan
- Centre for London strategic review of London and 20 years of the GLA
- LCCI’s focus on skills and changes to immigration rules
- London First’s planned report on reform of the apprenticeship levy and the future of high streets
- London Funders’ analysis of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

The meeting opened up to broader discussion on the challenges facing London and how the APPG could help to promote London’s interests in parliament. It was pointed out that the government is working on the basis of 10 years of policy delivery – suggesting it could be useful for the APPG to have a similar 10-year outlook. The meeting considered the need to defend London from hostile narratives and to emphasise the aspirations London holds in common with the rest of the UK. Acknowledging the government’s commitment to ‘levelling up’ the regions, London must make the case that this need not be a zero-sum game and that London has a core role to play in the government’s one-nation vision.

There was widespread agreement on the need to improve London’s arguments and communications, to build closer alliances (both in London and with external partners), and to support the APPG as a forum for cross-party co-operation.

It was suggested that the APPG should focus its 2020 activity on a small number of key issues, with priority given to those with the most cross-party, pan-London appeal and of most interest to London parliamentarians. Proposed topics include:

- the push for further devolution
- employment and skills
- transport infrastructure
- children’s services funding pressures
- crime
- environmental sustainability.

The meeting was brought to a close, with attendees thanked for their contributions. It was agreed that the APPG secretariat would use the ideas from today’s discussion to prepare a programme for 2020, which will need to be agreed with the Co-Chairs and shared as soon as possible.

Outline of APPG programme for 2020

The APPG for London’s themes for the year are:

- Devolution: Bringing power closer to communities
- Meeting London’s skills needs
- Tackling crime in the capital

These themes will be the focus of the APPG’s planned activity. While there may be opportunities for the APPG to cover other policy issues (as agreed by the Co-Chairs), the priority is on making a meaningful contribution to debate in those three areas.

The APPG will organise:

- at least one event in support of each of the themes – events will include an invitation to the Minister for London to address the APPG and a ‘speed briefing’ event for parliamentarians
- a summer reception (with speakers supporting one of the APPG’s themes)
- a further meeting of APPG officers and the stakeholder group later in the year.

Members of the stakeholder group will be invited to support these activities, including but not confined to identifying potential speakers, providing data from research and sponsoring events.

The APPG will seek engagement with the government – including through potential submissions ahead of the Budget and Spending Review, consultation responses, and meetings with ministers. The APPG will continue to raise its profile through sharing key information (relevant to the themes) from the stakeholder group among parliamentarians on a quarterly basis, such as links to new reports. The APPG will also aim to issue media statements in support of relevant stakeholder activity.